EGYPT CRISIS UPDATE

Air Charter Service has already booked or flown charters carrying more than 2,000 foreign nationals out of Cairo, as the violence in the Egyptian capital escalates. Although there has been reports of increased security searches on all aircraft leaving the country causing massive congestion at Cairo Airport over the weekend and during the course of the week, ACS has operated both large airliners carrying groups of passengers for embassies and tour operators, as well as businessmen on executive jets. Jon Thompson, Director at ACS, said: “Many people are realising that the most efficient way of leaving Egypt is on a chartered aircraft. We have seen huge demand over the past week. Cairo Airport has gone as far as to bring in the army to assist with security checks, clearances and aircraft slots. “Along with the flights that we have already performed we have many scheduled to depart in the coming days from Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor. Fortunately the situation at the airport seems to be improving and the backlog is beginning to clear a little. Whilst some of the aircraft are flying to more ‘local’ safe havens such as Dubai, Turkey and Greece, others have flown as far as the States.” Air Charter Service arranges more than 5,000 charters every year, incorporating tens of thousands of flight legs, on all aircraft - private jets, larger widebody airliners and cargo aircraft.